170 west broadway - bostonplans.org

170 West Broadway

170 West Broadway

South Boston, MA 02127

Application for Article 80 Small Project Review

Boston Redevelopment Authority

April 28, 2014

Owner/Developer: 170 West Broadway, LLC.

Legal Consultant: McDermott, Quilty & Miller, LLP

Architect: O’Sullivan Architects, Inc.

170 West Broadway April 28, 2014

170 West Broadway


Table of Contents

Title Page

Letter of Transmittal x

Project Team 1

Project Description 2

Building Metrics [Square footages, Unit Mix, etc.] 4

Project Site 7

Neighborhood & Zoning Context 7

Public Benefits: Affordable Housing and Job Creation 8

Traffic, Parking, Public Transportation Proximity and Vehicular and Pedestrian Access 8

Neighborhood Site Map and Photographs 9

Zoning Analysis 15

Anticipated Permits and Public Review Process 17

Appendix A: Architectural Plans and Elevations 18

Appendix B: Permitting Applications and Appeals 19


170 West Broadway


1

Development Team:

Developer:

170 West Broadway, LLC.

35 Doty Avenue

Danvers, MA 01923

CC: Ed Doherty

Phone: 978‐360‐9558

Email: [email protected]

Legal Consultant:

McDermott, Quilty & Miller LLP

131 Oliver Street, 5th Floor

Boston, MA 02110

CC: Joe Hanley, Esq.

Phone: 617‐946‐4600


Architect:

O’Sullivan Architects, Inc.

580 Main Street, Suite 204

Reading, MA 01867

CC: David O’Sullivan, AIA

Phone: 781‐439‐6166


Civil Engineer:

Design Consultants, Inc.

68 Pleasant Street,

Newburyport, MA 01950

CC: Everett J. Chandler, PLS

Phone: 978‐358‐7173

Email: EChandler@dci‐ma.com


170 West Broadway


2

Project Description:

Situated at the Property Site of the former Liberty Bell Roast Beef Restaurant in South Boston’s St.

Vincent Neighborhood District, 170 West Broadway consists of 17,176+/‐ square foot of underutilized

land, with a single story restaurant building surrounded by an asphalt parking lot with little to no

landscape improvements (the “Property Site). The Property Site is bounded by West Broadway at its

front and Athens Street at the rear, with an adjacent private way known as Gardner Place accessible

from West Broadway. The immediate area at the front of the Property Site is predominantly

commercial, while the uses along Athens Street at the rear are residential in character.

The Proposed Project includes the removal of the existing single‐story restaurant building and overall

upgrade of the Property Site with a new mixed‐use residential and retail building that includes ample

on‐site parking and related improvements in open space, landscaping, pedestrian and vehicular access

and design. The new residential building will consist of approximately 46,194 square feet of gross area,

with 33 residential home‐ownership condominium units and ground level retail/restaurant space in a

four‐story building with a fifth level penthouse for enhanced residential occupancy and open space. 39

parking on‐site spaces will be contained within a covered parking facility situated underground and at‐

grade. The ground floor retail/restaurant space will consist of 4,283+/‐ square feet at the West

Broadway side of the Property Site, with the remaining 7,290+/‐ square feet for covered parking and an

additional 364+/‐ square feet for building services and utilities. The four levels of the building above the

retail/restaurant space will consist of approximately 40,571 square feet of residential area, with a mix of

one and two bedroom units. The fifth level penthouse of the new building will include duplex units with

dedicated roof terraces situated behind the parapet wall. Four (4) of the residential units will be

designated as affordable.

The Proposed Project has been specifically designed to mitigate any potential negative impacts on the

residential section along Athens Street at the rear of the Property Site, by directing all vehicular and

pedestrian access from West Broadway and through the use of Gardner Place. The new building has

also been sufficiently set‐back from Athens Street with a lower building height at the rear, in order to

help address shadow and view issues and provide for open space and related streetscape

improvements.

As part of the proposal, the new building has been situated on the site in a manner so that a portion of

the site in tandem with the existing size of Gardner Place will serve as a driveway which is sufficient

enough in width to allow for two way traffic for on‐site parking. This driveway will provide all vehicular

access to the at grade covered parking within the building, which in turn provides access to the

underground parking beneath the building. When totaling the underground parking and the at grade

covered parking, the Proposed Project will provide a 1.18 ratio of parking spaces to units. Services for


170 West Broadway


3

the building and commercial space will be made from West Broadway, via an existing, relocated curb

cut.

The massing of the new building has been developed with site planning strategies and the existing

neighborhood aesthetic to create the form and style of a building that relates to the fabric of the

community. As part of the community outreach process, the massing of the Proposed Project’s building

has been reduced from 5 stories and 59 feet along West Broadway, to an 8 foot building setback at the

5th (penthouse) level resulting in an apparent 4 story, 49 foot high building where the scale of the

buildings along the this streetscape are larger. The new building then steps down to 2.5 stories and 29

foot 4 inches tall facing Athens Street, complimenting the scale of the residential structures along that

street. In addition to the massing of the building as a whole, the individual elevations of the building use

different architectural elements as tools to help even further breakdown the scale. The use of bays,

material changes, and window styles and rhythms, help break the length of the facades of the building,

and the use of horizontal banding and material changes help break down the height. The Proposed

Project consists of a mix of exterior cladding materials and forms familiar within the neighborhood of

South Boston, as well as masonry and related detailing for the facades along West Broadway and

Gardner Place, with a mix of fiber cement panel, lap, and trim siding for the building portions closer to

Athens Street. The commercial space will employ a mix of masonry and aluminum storefront systems,

consistent in form to the rest of the building façade composition.

The new building’s trash services will be handled separately for the commercial and residential spaces.

The commercial space will be serviced directly from a dedicated space located in the south east corner

of the building along West Broadway, where pick‐up can be controlled directly from the street; while the

residential building has a large dedicated trash and recycle room located on the ground floor accessed

through the surface level parking which will have coordinated pick‐up service as necessary.


170 West Broadway


4

Building Metrics:

RESIDENTIAL UNIT MIX AND PARKING COUNTS:

PRELIMINARY UNIT YIELDS

FLOOR 1 BR 1 BR + DEN 2 BR 2 BR + DEN 3 BR TOTAL

1ST NA NA NA NA NA NA

2ND 7 0 4 0 0 11

3RD 7 0 5 0 0 12

4TH 2 0 8 0 0 10

TOTAL 16 0 17 0 0 33

% TOTAL 48% 0% 52% 0.0% 0.0%

PRELIMINARY PARKING YIELDS

BASEMENT/GARAGE LEVEL 31

SURFACE/GROUND LEVEL 8

TOTAL PARKING 39

SPACES PER UNIT 1.18

BUILDING PROGRAM BY FLOOR & UNIT TYPES SQUARE FOOTAGES:

Square Footage of Building excluded from F.A.R.

BASEMENT LEVEL:

Underground Parking 9,722 sf

Building Utilities & Storage 2,368 sf

Circulation 487 sf

TOTAL GSF 12,577 sf

GROUND FLOOR LEVEL:

Commercial Space Trash 200 sf

At Grade Garage Space 7,290 sf

TOTAL GSF 7,490sf

TOTAL BUILDING GSF EXCLUDED FROM F.A.R. 20,067 SF


170 West Broadway


5

Square Footage of Building included in F.A.R

GROUND FLOOR LEVEL:

Commercial Space 4,283 sf

Building Utilities 263 sf

Circulation + Lobby 1,104 sf

TOTAL GSF 5,623 sf

SECOND FLOOR LEVEL:

Unit 201 [2 BR] 1,047 sf

Unit 202 [1 BR] 681 sf

Unit 203 [1 BR] 715 sf

Unit 204 [2 BR] 1,145 sf

Unit 205 [1 BR] 798 sf

Unit 206 [1 BR] 815 sf

Unit 207 [1 BR] 816 sf

Unit 208 [2 BR] 1,036 sf

Unit 209 [1 BR + DEN] 789 sf

Unit 211 [2 BR] 1,796 sf

Unit 212 [1 BR] 732 sf

Circulation & Building Mechanical Space 2,359 sf

TOTAL GSF 12,729 sf

THIRD FLOOR LEVEL:

Unit 301 [2 BR] 1,047 sf

Unit 302 [1 BR] 681 sf

Unit 303 [1 BR] 715 sf

Unit 304 [2 BR] 1,145 sf

Unit 305 [1 BR] 798 sf

Unit 306 [1 BR] 815 sf

Unit 307 [1 BR] 816 sf

Unit 308 [2 BR] 1,036 sf

Unit 309 [1 BR] 663 sf

Unit 310 [2 BR] 1,048 sf

Unit 311 [2 BR] 1,277 sf


170 West Broadway


6

Unit 312 [1 BR] 732 s


TOTAL GSF 12,729 sf

FOURTH FLOOR LEVEL:

Unit 401 Lower Level [2 BR] 1,047 sf

Unit 402 Lower Level [2 BR] 681 sf


Unit 404 Lower Level [2 BR] 1,136 sf






Unit 412 [1 BR] 732 sf


TOTAL GSF 9,825 sf

FIFTH FLOOR PENTHOUSE LEVEL:

Unit 401 Upper Level [2 BR] 157 sf









TOTAL GSF 5,288 sf

TOTAL BUILDING GSF INCLUDED IN F.A.R. 46,194 GSF

LOT SIZE: 17,176 SF

F.A.R. 2.69


170 West Broadway


7

Project Site:

Situated in South Boston’s St. Vincent Neighborhood District, the Property Site of 170 West Broadway is

an underutilized site, consisting of 17,136+/‐ square feet of land, with existing small‐scale restaurant

structure surrounded by an unimproved asphalt parking lot. The site is conveniently located within a

very short walk to the MBTA’s Red Line Broadway Train Station (approximately ¼ mile) and also located

along multiple MBTA’s bus lines. The site has frontages on West Broadway, Athens St, and the private

way known as Gardner Place. On the easterly side of the site are two residential abutters, with Gardner

Place on the south westerly side and a residential abutter towards the north westerly side of the site.

The Project proposes to have all pedestrian and vehicular access come via Gardner Place off of West

Broadway, with one required residential building egress exiting onto Athens Street which will most likely

be used exclusively as an emergency egress only for the residential portion of the building. The existing

site currently has two curb cuts on West Broadway with an additional public curb cut at Gardner Place,

and no curb cuts along Athens St. The Project proposes to reuse one of the West Broadway curb cuts

for building services, and services for the ground floor commercial space, while discontinuing the use of

the other. The Project Site also features a grade change across the property of approximately 7 feet,

which slopes down from Athens Street (EL: 29.48) towards West Broadway (EL:22.43).

Neighborhood & Zoning Context:

The Property Site is located within the Neighborhood Shopping/West Broadway Neighborhood Shopping

Sub‐district of the St. Vincent Neighborhood Zoning District. The immediate area at the front of The

Property is predominantly commercial, while the uses along Athens Street at the rear are residential in

character. Directly to the north exists a 3F‐2000 (3 Family Sub district); while to the east exists a MFR

(Multi‐family Residential Sub district). To the south along West Broadway there exists several district

classifications, including M‐1 (Restricted Manufacturing), H‐1 (Apartments), B‐1 & B‐2 (Retail Business &

Offices) and L‐5 (Local Retail and Service Stores). Consistent with the area, the Proposed Project

contemplates a mixed‐use program, with approximately 4,200 sf of retail/restaurant space at the

ground level and a multi‐family residential use located on the upper levels above. The ground level

retail/restaurant space will help to further revitalize West Broadway, while the scale of the residential

program will provide and important anchor for the section of the neighborhood.


170 West Broadway


8

Public Benefits: Affordable Housing and Job Creation:

The Proposed Project will contribute the much‐needed revitalization of West Broadway in the South

Boston neighborhood, by upgrading this underutilized Property Site with a new mixed‐use residential

and retail development which will serve as an anchor for this particular block of the street. The

Proposed Project will also provide four (4) new affordable housing units as part of its overall residential

program and introduce a vibrant new street‐level retail/restaurant use to better serve the needs of the

community.

With a preliminary estimate of $4,500,000 in construction costs, the Proposed Project will also result in

the creation of approximately 30 new construction jobs over an 18 month period. These temporary

construction jobs will complement the longer‐term jobs also created as part of the ground level

retail/restaurant use.

Traffic, Parking and Vehicular and Pedestrian Access:

As described earlier, the Project Site has three street frontages, one along West Broadway with two

existing curb cuts, one along Athens St with no existing curb cuts, and one alongside Gardner Place, a

private way directly west of the site, which has its own existing curb cut. The Project proposes to utilize

Gardner Place as the main vehicular and pedestrian access for the building. The massing of the building

has been pulled away from Gardner Place in order to provide additional square footage alongside the

street, so that there will be the proper width for a new two‐way vehicular driveway, as well as to

provide for a new safe pedestrian sidewalk along one side of the driveway in the form of a covered

walkway. One of the existing curb cuts along West Broadway will be re‐used for the commercial portion

of the building’s services accessed via the street, while the other’s use will be discontinued. All vehicular

access for the new 39 on‐site parking spaces will be accessed via Gardner Place. Pedestrian access for

the commercial space will be accessed by the public via West Broadway, however, the main residential

building lobby will be located off of Gardner Place. One additional secondary egress exit, which is

required for the residential building, will be located on the Athens St. side of the building. This exit will

most likely be seldom used and represents the only pedestrian or vehicle access on that side of the

Proposed Project.

The Project Site, along with Gardner Place, will be developed with appropriate design and site

improvements to provide proper public safety and functionality. Furthermore, the generous allotment

of on‐site parking (over one space per unit) and close proximity to public transportation will help to

alleviate any negative traffic and parking impacts.


170 West Broadway


9

Neighborhood Site Map & Photographs:

Aerial view of 170 West Broadway Neighborhood

Aerial view of 170 West Broadway Site


170 West Broadway


10

Bird’s eye view north of 170 West Broadway Site

Bird’s eye view west of 170 West Broadway Site


170 West Broadway


11

Bird’s eye view south of 170 West Broadway Site

Bird’s eye view east of 170 West Broadway Site


170 West Broadway


12

W. Broadway, east side of site

View west down W. Broadway

View east down W. Broadway


170 West Broadway


13

Site from W. Broadway (right)

Site from W. Broadway (mid)

Site from W. Broadway (left)


170 West Broadway


14

View East down Athens St.

View West down Athens St.

Site from South from Athens.


170 West Broadway


15

Zoning Analysis:

Parcel Information:

Assessing Address: 170 West Broadway

Accessing Parcel #(s): W. Broadway – 0600291000, 0600291001

Zoning District: Saint Vincent Neighborhood District

Sub District: NS (West Broadway Neighborhood Shopping)

Overlay: Restricted Parking District

Historic District: NA

Square Footage: +/‐ 17,176

Use and Occupancy:

Current Use and Occupancy: “Restaurant” #2475/1975

Allowable Uses:

Use Applicability

Bank Allowed

Local Retail Business (Closed 12am‐6am) Allowed

Local Retail Business (operating 12am‐6am) Conditional

Multi‐Family Residential Conditional

Professional Office Allowed

Restaurant Allowed

Restaurant w/Live entertainment before 10:30 pm Conditional

Restaurant w/Live entertainment after 10:30 pm Forbidden

Takeout Small (under 2,500 sq. ft.) Allowed

Takeout Large (over 2,500 sq. ft.) Conditional

Proposed Uses:

Use Applicability

Multi‐Family Residential Conditional

Restaurant Allowed


170 West Broadway


16

Dimensional Regulations and Requirements:

Lot Size Minimum: None

Lot Size Proposed: 17,176

Lot Width Minimum: None

Lot Width Minimum Proposed: 99.43 feet

Floor Area Ratio (FAR): 1.0

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) provided: 2.69 (16.9 over allowable)

(Building GSF/Lot size) (46,194/17,176)

Building Height allowed (stories): None

Building Height Proposed (stories): 5 (4 + Penthouse)

Building Height allowed (feet): 35 feet

Building Height Proposed (feet): 59 feet (maximum) [49 feet to parapet]

Front Yard Setback Minimum: Align with Existing Abutter per

Article §57.23.1

Front Yard Setback Minimum Proposed: W. Broadway: 0 ft (aligned w/abutter)

Athens St: 11 ft (setback 11 ft

from abutters)

Side Yard Setback Minimum: None

Side Yard Setback Minimum Proposed: 0 ft.

Rear Yard Setback Minimum: 20 feet

Rear Yard Setback Minimum Proposed: 10 foot 10 inches*

*Rear‐yard classified as property line along Athens St.

Usable Open Space per Dwelling Unit: 50 sf per unit [50 x 33 (units) = 1,650 sf]

Open Space Proposed: 1,585 sf of at grade open space

1,178 sf at 5th floor private roof decks

Off‐Street Parking Requirements:

Residential (R1): 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit (29)

Residential, Affordable (R2): .7 spaces per afford. dwelling unit (4)

Retail (R3): 2.0 spaces per 1,000 sf of flr area (NA)

Restaurant (R4): .3 spaces per seat (300 seats estimated)

Parking Spaces Required: 43.5(R1)+ 2.8(R2)+ 0(R3)+ 90 (R4)=136.3

Parking Spaces Provided: 39 spaces


170 West Broadway


17

Anticipated Permits and Public Review Process:

Pursuant to the requirements of Small Project Review under Article 80 of the Boston Zoning Code, the

Proposed Project shall undergo further public comment and community process. Prior to submitting

this Article 80 Application, however, the project team conducted extensive preliminary outreach with a

group of abutting and area residents on Athens Street and also processed the proposal with the

applicable local elected and appointed officials and leadership of the St. Vincent Neighborhood

Association. This application includes major project modifications and design changes which resulted

from the input received through the preliminary outreach process.

The table below outlines the public permits and approvals that are anticipated to be required for the

project.

Anticipated Permits and Approvals:

City Agency Approval

Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Article 80 Small Project Review Application

Boston Transportation Department (BTD) Construction Management Plan

Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) Site Plan Approval for Water and Sewer

Public Improvement Commission (PIC) Specific repair plan approval and

Potential Discontinuance

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Variances and Conditional Uses

Boston Parks and Recreation Application for Park Commission Review


170 West Broadway


18

Appendix A: Architectural Plans and Elevations:

Please find attached the following drawings dated 4/28/2014:

Sheet # Drawing Name

Sheet 1 of 1 Certified Plot Plan (dated 4/14/2014)

[Prepared by Design Consultants, Inc.}

A1.0 Basement Level Floor Plan

A1.1 Ground Floor Plan

A1.2 Second Floor Plan

A1.3 Third Floor Plan

A1.4 Fourth Floor Plan

A1.5 Fifth Floor Plan

A1.6 Roof Level Floor Plan

A3.1 Building Elevations




A3.5 Building Perspectives and Images

A4.1 Building Sections

© O'Sullivan Architects Inc.

BASEMENT LEVEL PLANSCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0"

170 W. BROADWAY - PRELIM FLOOR PLANS4/28/2014

0

1'

0' 2' 8'

4' 16'

32'

A1.0

N

K:\D

oher

ty\1

3033

- 1

70 W

est B

road

way

\Dra

win

gs\W

orki

ng\1

3033

- F

loor

Pla

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:40:

41 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3


GROUND FLOOR PLANSCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0"


1

1'

0' 2' 8'

4' 16'

32'

A1.1

N

K:\D

oher

ty\1

3033

- 1

70 W

est B

road

way

\Dra

win

gs\W

orki

ng\1

3033

- F

loor

Pla

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:41:

08 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3


SECOND FLOOR PLANSCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0"


2

1'

0' 2' 8'

4' 16'

32'

A1.2

N

K:\D

oher

ty\1

3033

- 1

70 W

est B

road

way

\Dra

win

gs\W

orki

ng\1

3033

- F

loor

Pla

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:41:

29 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3


THIRD FLOOR PLANSCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0"


3

1'

0' 2' 8'

4' 16'

32'

A1.3

N

K:\D

oher

ty\1

3033

- 1

70 W

est B

road

way

\Dra

win

gs\W

orki

ng\1

3033

- F

loor

Pla

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:42:

06 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3


FOURTH FLOOR PLANSCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0"


4

1'

0' 2' 8'

4' 16'

32'

A1.4

N

K:\D

oher

ty\1

3033

- 1

70 W

est B

road

way

\Dra

win

gs\W

orki

ng\1

3033

- F

loor

Pla

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:42:

31 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3


PENTHOUSE LEVEL PLANSCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0"


5

1'

0' 2' 8'

4' 16'

32'

A1.5

N

K:\D

oher

ty\1

3033

- 1

70 W

est B

road

way

\Dra

win

gs\W

orki

ng\1

3033

- F

loor

Pla

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:43:

01 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3


ROOF LEVEL PLANSCALE: 1/16" = 1'-0"


6

1'

0' 2' 8'

4' 16'

32'

A1.6

N

K:\D

oher

ty\1

3033

- 1

70 W

est B

road

way

\Dra

win

gs\W

orki

ng\1

3033

- F

loor

Pla

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:43:

47 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3

© O'Sullivan Architects Inc.2014

170 WEST BROADWAYSOUTH BOSTON, MA4/28/2014 A3.1K:

\Doh

erty

\130

33 -

170

Wes

t Bro

adw

ay\D

raw

ings

\Wor

king

\130

33 -

Ele

vatio

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:48:

48 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3



\Doh

erty

\130

33 -

170

Wes

t Bro

adw

ay\D

raw

ings

\Wor

king

\130

33 -

Ele

vatio

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:50:

01 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3



\Doh

erty

\130

33 -

170

Wes

t Bro

adw

ay\D

raw

ings

\Wor

king

\130

33 -

Ele

vatio

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:51:

01 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3



\Doh

erty

\130

33 -

170

Wes

t Bro

adw

ay\D

raw

ings

\Wor

king

\130

33 -

Ele

vatio

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:51:

56 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3



\Doh

erty

\130

33 -

170

Wes

t Bro

adw

ay\D

raw

ings

\Wor

king

\130

33 -

Ele

vatio

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:53:

07 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3



\Doh

erty

\130

33 -

170

Wes

t Bro

adw

ay\D

raw

ings

\Wor

king

\130

33 -

Ele

vatio

ns.d

wg,

4/2

8/20

14 9

:53:

49 A

M, D

WG

To

PDF.

pc3


170 West Broadway


19

Appendix B: Permitting Applications and Appeals:

Please see attached Permit applications, and ISD Zoning and Building Code Applications

170 west broadway - bostonplans.org

Documents